


Just You

by expectingtofly



Series: Christmas Fluff 2020 [7]
Category: Supernatural
Genre: Castiel Without Angelic Grace (Supernatural), Castiel and Dean Winchester Use Their Words, Castiel and Dean Winchester in Love, Christmas Presents, Established Castiel/Dean Winchester, Fluff, Human Castiel (Supernatural), M/M, Mild Hurt/Comfort, Wrapping Presents, and is very dramatic about it, dean gets a paper cut
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-21
Updated: 2020-12-21
Packaged: 2021-03-11 05:27:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 960
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28209825
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/expectingtofly/pseuds/expectingtofly
Summary: Castiel has recently become human, which means sometimes—like when Dean gets a paper cut wrapping Christmas presents—he forgets he doesn't have the ability to heal. Dean tries to explain how much Castiel means to him—angel or not.written for Day 21 ofthese prompts
Relationships: Castiel/Dean Winchester
Series: Christmas Fluff 2020 [7]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2039002
Comments: 21
Kudos: 103





	Just You

“Fuck this,” Dean exclaimed, letting go of the wrapping paper he'd been trying to fold around around Jack’s Christmas present. He glanced over at where Castiel was sitting next to him on their bedroom floor, tying a bow on top of an intricately wrapped present. Three more were stacked next to him in various, complementary prints, rivaling Dean’s one, disastrous attempt. 

“It doesn’t have to be perfect, Dean,” Castiel said, adjusting and scrutinizing his bow.

“Yeah, but the present _does_ have to be completely covered, and right now it’s not fucking cooperating.” Of course the game they had bought Jack was in an octagon shaped box. After several aborted attempts at wrapping it, the paper was creased and torn in one corner, and Dean was starting to see red—and not in a Christmas spirit kind of way.

Castiel started to wrap his fourth present, a smoothie recipe book for Sam. “Put it in a bag.” 

“No, I’ll be damned if I can’t wrap a damn toy.” Rallying himself, Dean tried again, folding one corner of the paper over the awkwardly shaped box and pinning it down while reaching for the tape. “Fucking dammit,” he muttered as the tape got caught. With an amused smile, Castiel reached over, ripped a piece off, and handed it to him.

One corner taped. Not very elegantly, but wrapping paper was meant to be ripped anyways, so Jack would be tearing it open soon enough. Somewhat resigned to the state of the present, he tried folding another corner and was instantly rewarded with a stinging pain across his fingertip.

“Shit!” Yanking his hand away revealed a small drop of blood welling where the wrapping paper had sliced him. “I give up,” he announced, sticking his sliced finger in his mouth. “That’s it, I give up. I hate this shit. Christmas is canceled.”

“Let me,” Castiel said, reaching for his hand. “I can—“ His face suddenly fell and he dropped his hand. Inwardly, Dean winced. Being human was still new to Castiel, and at times it seemed he forgot so much had changed, like when he forgot to eat all day or forgot he couldn’t heal them anymore.

Instantly regretting having made such a big deal out of a minor injury, Dean said, “It’s alright, it’s just a paper cut.”

“I can get you a bandaid,” Castiel said, standing to leave the room.

“No, I don’t need one—“ Dean trailed off because Castiel was already out the door. He glared at the offending present and wrapping paper in front of him, mocking him for not being able to get them under control, for reminding Castiel again that he'd lost his grace. Overall, Castiel was adjusting well to human life, but it was a huge change, and sometimes Dean worried he might think he had to make up for losing his powers, as if he was somehow a burden as a human. 

Returning with a box of bandaids, Castiel sat next to him. “Let me see,” he said, taking Dean's wrist. The stinging had already subsided, but knowing Castiel wanted to be useful, Dean complied, letting him take his hand and gently wrap a bandaid around his finger. 

“There you go,” Castiel said, smoothing the bandaid. He held Dean's hand for a moment longer, as if testing out his grace, as if trying to remember what it felt like to heal. Dean could almost feel the tingling warmth of Castiel's grace seeping into his skin, but he knew it was only a memory.

After a long moment, Castiel sighed quietly and started to let go of Dean’s hand, but Dean held on. “Cas," he said. "You know it’s alright that you can’t heal me anymore.”

Castiel’s eyes flicked up to his and he nodded. “I know. But I wish I could. I don’t like feeling… useless.”

“But you’re not. Hey.” Castiel met his eyes. “You’re not useless at all, Cas. I mean,” he gestured to the presents they were wrapping, “even without your grace, you’re still better than the rest of us at basically everything. I don’t know what we’d do without you. What I’d do.” 

A smile tugged at Castiel’s mouth. “I don’t know about being better at everything, but I _am_ better at wrapping presents.”

“Annoyingly so.”

Castiel smiled wide and Dean added, “And anyway, you never had to be useful. You don’t have to prove yourself. You’re family, it’s enough that you’re just here, that you're just you. I mean that, really, I do.” He held Castiel’s gaze until Castiel nodded solemnly. “We’d keep you around even if you were shit at wrapping presents.”

That drew a laugh from Castiel, and the sound sparked a warmth in Dean's chest, making him grin. Bringing Dean’s hand to his lips, Castiel kissed his injured finger. “I love you.”

“Sap," Dean teased, unable to hide his smile. Leaning forward, he kissed him. “Love you too,” he said, against Castiel's mouth.

Castiel kissed him back, squeezing his hand. “Feel better?” he asked, indicating Dean's finger. “Is Christmas still on this year?”

“Maybe, if I can manage to get this damn thing wrapped.”

Castiel rolled his eyes. “I’ll do it, since you’re so horribly injured.”

Leaning close, resting his chin on Castiel’s shoulder, Dean watched him fold the gift meticulously and wrap a red ribbon around the box, tying an ornate bow. He glanced down at his bandaged finger and smiled a little. He could've sworn Castiel had some remnants of his grace left in his touch because the former angel always made him feel so much better. But it had never been Castiel's powers and abilities that fixed everything, that drew Dean in and caused him to fall in love—it had always just been Castiel himself.

**Author's Note:**

> thanks for reading :) i'd love to hear your thoughts in the comments and you can check out my tumblr [here](https://expectingtofly.tumblr.com/) :)


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